Chuan Chuan: Traditional Sichuan Cuisine

In Sichuan, there are so many delicious foods that are local to the area. One of these is called chuanchuan (schwan-schwan), a Sichuan version of hotpot. If you only speak a language other than Chinese, the process is a little bit overwhelming, unless you know what you're doing. Once you're seated, go get a tray and fill it up with raw veggies and meat. A lot of the meat will be unidentifiable, but definitely includes liver, stomach, and intestines of assorted animals, chicken hearts, and other internal organs. Some of the vegetables are a bit easier to recognize, like eggplant, cucumber, and water spinach.

Once you've gotten your plate of uncooked food (see above), go to the sauce bar in the middle of room and start building your sauce. If you don't speak Chinese, this is a lot of trial and error. My favorite combination turned out to be garlic, lots of cilantro, oyster sauce, and a little bit of red pepper and MSG. Once you sit down, you'll get a small container of oil to put in the sauce. If you're like me and don't like things too greasy, don't use the whole can. You can always add more.

Put the sticks in the pot (make sure to cook everything completely- sometimes for more than 5 minutes. Even some of the vegetables will get you sick if you don't cook them well enough!), and wait until your food is cooked! When it's done, pull out the sticks, use your chopsticks to slide the food right into your bowl of sauce, and put the sticks in the provided container- this is how the waitstaff know how much you ate, so you know how much to pay (they charge per stick). Wait until it cools, and enjoy!

If you ever have the chance, I highly recommend chuanchuan as a fun, interactive way to enjoy dinner!